The Ministry of Healthcare of Ukraine has started to form the Supervisory Board of the state enterprise Medical Procurement of Ukraine, a key procuring entity in the field of medicine. This was published on the Ministry’s official website. Civic and patient organizations are urging the Ministry to hold independent selection for members of the Commission which will select the Supervisory Board.

On August 4, 2020, the Ministry of Healthcare issued Order №1781 “On the Establishment and Principles of Formation of the Supervisory Board of the State Enterprise ‘Medical Procurement of Ukraine.’” However, it has been a month since the order was issued, and the Ministry has not published anything about how the Supervisory Board of the enterprise will be selected.

The State Enterprise Medical Procurement of Ukraine was established as part of the procurement reform in the Ministry in order to take over the procurement function from the Ministry of Healthcare and organize professional procurement in the interests of Ukrainian patients. The company receives budget funds to organize and conduct procurement of medicines. Currently, the company has been authorized to make purchases totaling UAH 14.8 billion this year alone. It is expected that in the coming years the amount of budget funds for procurement conducted by the enterprise will keep growing.

This means that unprecedented transparency and impartiality in the formation of the Supervisory Board are a must. Under the current legislation and the Charter of the enterprise, the Board must consist of 7 members, 2 appointed by the Ministry of Healthcare and 5 independent members selected by the selection commission.

However, we have recently seen the Ministry of Healthcare attempting to pressure the management of the state enterprise and to interfere in the procurement processes. Such attempts have manifested themselves as recommendations by former minister Yemets to appoint the necessary people to important positions, interference with the procurement procedure for protective suits and as further Ministry-initiated adoption of regulations which illegally require tender documentation to be run by the Ministry.

Under these circumstances and considering the absence of information on the creation of the Supervisory Board, we demand that the Ministry of Healthcare and Minister Maksym Stepanov personally:

  • conduct a transparent selection of the commission which will select the Supervisory Board of SOE Medical Procurement of Ukraine and appoint only individuals with impeccable reputation, high professional and moral standards and good standing in the society to the commission;
  • invite representatives of international organizations and diplomatic institutions, members of reputable civil society and patient organizations, as well as professional recruitment consultants, in the commission as required by regulatory documents.

We insist that only a transparent procedure and a reputable commission can ensure public trust in the creation of the Supervisory Board of the key medical procurement agency in the country.

Anti-Corruption Action Center

Patients of Ukraine Charitable Foundation

StateWatch expert organization

Transparency International Ukraine

Charitable organization “100% Life”